The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-16
DR.. HARRISON'S STEAL,

Oh. HARRlSUN'S STEAL
''The Journal and News both state that
President Harrison is drawing salary of
ST. 600. This is true, and he is doing it under
1879, when Mr.. John Fishback was the presi-
Gent of the benevolent boards. The decision
was made under the existing laws. This sal
airy was paid to Mr.. Fishback during Mr..
VOLTS term Auditor and Dennys term as
Attorney general-both Republicans. The
Brown BILL approved February, 1888, makes
the president of the board the third trustee of
each of the boards. The salary has been paid
because of the decision referred to for the last
eight years.
If the salary of 81, 600 has been drawn and
paid for the past eight years it has been drawn
and paid in direct violation of law, except for
the two years covered by the appropriation
bill of March IS, 1879. Mr.. Fishback is dead,
but DR.. Harrison is living, and the money
illegally overdrawn and paid him should be
recovered by suit, as it is proposed to do by
Attorney general Kitchener.
The above quoted paragraph is evidence that
the Sentinel has either consulted or has been
told about decision of the Attorney general
If it has consulted the opinion it wilfully or
ignorantly misstates it; and if has been merely
told about it, it was told by some interested
party for an interested reason, and who did
not tell it the truth. When -eslled upon to
make such a statement as that in defense of
raid upon the public treasury the Sentinel
should have taken the trouble to verify the facts
by an inspection of the records.
The opinion to which the Sentinel refers
was given by Attorney gen eral Woollen in
January, 1880. 1t recites the fact that the
act of March 6, 1879, recognizing the benev-
olent boards, gives salary of nine hundred
dollars to the president while the appropria-
ton bill of March 90 (G-25), 1870 gives him
nine hundred dollars as president OF the In
sane Hospital board, four hundred dollars as
president of the Deaf and Dumb board, and
three hundred as president of the Blind Insti-
tute board. These are specific appropriations
in TERMS and Mr.. Woollen properly says that
the appropriation act, being the last legislative
expression, must govern in case of the disa-
greement between the two statutes But the.
opinion contains these words:
"The general appropriation bill covers but
two years; hence the salary Of the president
of the boards, whatever construction may be
given to the act Of March 80 (?), 1879, will
remain as fixed by the act of March 6, 1879,
except as it may be modified by the terms Of
the appropriation act now in force"
Nothing could be clearer than this. When
the Sentinel says 'the decision was made
under the existing laws" it creates false
Impression. The decision was made under
the then existing laws, but not under the
now existing laws. Since the year 1870 no
such language is to be found in any appro-
priation act as is to be found in the act of
that year, and hence, under the opinion of
Attorney general Woollen, 'the salary of the
president Of the boards remains ssas fixed by
the act of March g. 1872 which is nine hun
dred dollars year.
If the point suggested by the Sentinel is
good, that the Brown bill makes the president
the third trustee Of each of the boards why
does not DR.. Harrison claim and draw salaries
as such trustee, in addition to his salary as
PRESIDENT He is either entitled to So, 200 a
year, OF to 5000. He cannot be entitled to
the 81, 600 a year, which he has pocketed for
the past four years, by any possible construc-
ton Of the statutes, not even with the aid of
the opinion of Attorney general Woollen,
which has been so distorted and misapplied
by the Sentinel
Why is it that the defense of the tally sheet
forgers, the southern prison wreckers, the
hospital scoundrels and the treasury leeches
occupies so much of the time of our esteemed
contemporary, the Democratic State organY
Does it conceive that the Democratic party is
vitality involved with all the crimes, the en-
bezzements, the corruption and the petty
stealings of the gang that has brought dis
grace upon the State and thorougNH disor-